Five gang members and associates indicted in federal court

Updated at 1:40 pm, October 12th, 2017

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The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.

BOISE — A federal grand jury indicted five members and associates of the Sureno Mob Trece gang for crimes including drug distribution and unlawful possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. The charges stem from an investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force.

The indicted defendants are Sebastian Tate Levasseur, 22, of Nampa; Isaac Alexander Carreno, 20, of Nampa; Christian Bradley James Barker, 18, of Meridian; Abel Arturo Negrete, 41, of Nampa; and Thomas Antonio Pinto, 21, of Meridian. All were indicted on October 11, 2017.

Levasseur is charged with three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Carreno is charged with two counts distribution of methamphetamine and two counts distribution of hydrocodone. Barker is charged with four counts distribution of methamphetamine. Negrete is charged with two counts unlawful possession of a firearm. Pinto is charged with one count distribution of methamphetamine.

Levasseur is currently in the custody of the Idaho Department of Corrections and Barker is currently in custody at the Ada County Jail. Negrete was arrested yesterday. Warrants have been issued for Pinto and Carreno.

Federal drug trafficking charges are generally punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a fine up to $1 million and at least three years of supervised release. Where some of the defendants are charged with distributing higher amounts of methamphetamine, they face a minimum term of incarceration of five years, with a maximum term of up to forty years in prison, a fine up to $5 million and at least four years supervised release.

The charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.

The indictments are the result of an investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force.

The Task Force was created approximately 12 years ago and is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and the Idaho Department of Corrections. The Task Force conducts complex long-term investigations of criminal gangs.

The charges are being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership, the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.

An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.